Director, Workforce System Coordination Division

March 31, 2017

Rick Roy

Director, Workforce System Coordination Division

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development 332 Minnesota Street ∙ Suite E200

St. Paul, MN 55101

Dear Mr. Roy:

Attached is the Regional Plan modification (narrative updates are demonstrated in purple font color) and corresponding work plan from Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, Inc. (CMJTS) and Stearns-Benton Employment & Training Council (SBETC)— Regional Planning Area 3.

On August 9, 2016, Region 3 chief elected officials were informed that the proposed Region 3 Plan submitted by CMJTS and SBETC was not approved. Furthermore, on December 8, 2016, Commissioners Greene and Lenzmeier, representing Region 3, received follow-up communication to the August 9th letter and had subsequent conversations with DEED regarding the requirements for approving the Region 3 Plan. This communication refined comments in the August letter and highlighted necessary steps going forward. The December communication further reiterated key points for regional planning and technical assistance available to assist with the modification process. In response to the two communications, Region 3 took the following steps:

  December 2016 – February 2017: Leadership attended DEED weekly technical assistance and guidance calls regarding Region 3 Plan modification.

  February 3, 2017: An invitation was sent to WorkForce Center and community partners to attend a review and dialogue of the Regional Plan and be a part of the regional process to add information and outcomes for partner and community services in the region.

  February 14, 2017: WorkForce Center and community partners attended a regional planning meeting and provided input into the Region 3 Plan. Partners present included Wagner-Peyser Job Service, WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs, Adult Basic Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation Services.

  February 17, 2017: The Region 3 Plan modification draft was sent to Rick Roy for review. Suggestions were implemented by Region 3 that included use of the full narrative submitted previously with the modification language clearly noted in a new font color (purple). An Excel spreadsheet was attached providing levels of detail in an easy-to- reference format.

  February 24, 2017: Region 3 Plan modification draft was reviewed and approved by the Region 3 Leadership & Planning Board (R3LPB).

  March 10, 2017: The Region 3 Plan modification was approved by the SBETC and CMJTS workforce development boards.

  March 16, 2017: The R3LPB submitted the modified Region 3 Plan to Governor Dayton, DEED, and the Governor’s Workforce Development Board (due date: 3/31/17).

Thank you for your time and we look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely,

Region 3 Leadership & Planning Board

Heidi Peper, Chair, SBETC Workforce Development Board

Commissioner Richard Greene, Vice Chair, CMJTS Joint Powers Board, Workforce Development Board

SECTION A: REGIONAL PLAN

Regional Leadership Approach

1.  Describe the selection process for the membership who will provide the leadership to oversee the development and coordination of the regional plan.

  Stearns-Benton Employment Training Council (SBETC) and Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, Inc. (CMJTS) chief elected officials and workforce development boards elected to create the Region 3 Leadership and Planning Board (R3LPB) to represent

Minnesota’s Workforce Development Region 3 and its 13-county planning region (Local Workforce Development Areas – LWDAs 5 and 17).

  The following R3LPB members were selected and approved by each local board to lead in the regional initiatives outlined in the Workforce Innovations and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), as follows:

Voting members (10)

CMJTS Joint Powers Board (JPB) Chair and Vice Chair

CMJTS Workforce Development Board (WDB) Chair and Vice Chair CMJTS Chief Executive Officer

SBETC Joint Powers Board (JPB) Chair and Vice Chair

SBETC Workforce Development Board (WDB) Chair and Vice Chair SBETC Executive Director

Non-voting members (2) CMJTS Development Manager SBETC Development Director

Note: CMJTS and SBETC executive assistants will prepare minutes and agendas

Stakeholders (listed in Section 2) will be invited to attend the R3LPB and its events to share data, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis, economic development information, and other relevant data to collectively make sound decisions for the 13-county region.

Stakeholders also include populations experiencing inequities in Region 3, and are identified to include those in the following social identity categories: veterans and eligible spouses, individuals with criminal history, women, LGBT, persons of color, immigrants, older workers, individuals with disabilities, youth, and high-need adults including low-income individuals and individuals who are basic-skills deficient.

  SBETC and CMJTS workforce development board members elected to keep the R3LPB membership small to ensure participation, commitment, collaboration, and success of a regional leadership-partnership approach.

  A chair and vice chair will be elected to the R3LPB, one officer from each LWDA. The chair and vice chair will serve for one year from July 1 to June 30. Officers will be elected in June of each year.

·  The LWDA directors and non-voting members will not serve as chair or vice chair. Only officers of the local boards and local elected officials will be allowed to serve as the chair or vice chair.

2.  Describe how the approach used will ensure that partner engagement includes diverse representation, specifically among populations experiencing barriers to employment.

  R3LPB, CMJTS, and SBETC staff will engage with community members to identify organizations representing targeted populations, through use of surveys, data collecting, conducting focus groups, and program outreach. This will ensure greater awareness of resources available to diverse populations, specifically among people experiencing barriers to education and employment opportunities in Planning Region 3.

Committees will be developed as a result, and stakeholder engagement will occur through sector-led activities planned through collaboration with partners.

  The Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) goal is to increase access to the Workforce Center System and programs for persons with disabilities. The best practices in case management through the use of integrated resource teams, guideposts for success in youth goal planning, and customized employment will be shared with other Rural Career Counseling Coordinators (RC3). The sharing of knowledge and resources with the broader system will create an effective referral process, ensure a close relationship between all partners, and increase services to more jobseekers. All LWDA 5 Staff will complete the Disability Resource Coordinator Level 1 Training by March 2018. This curriculum will be incorporated into new staff training. The goal is to have greater awareness and promote inclusiveness in the Workforce Center System. Outreach and sharing of these resources with organizations such as Goodwill, Functional Industries, RISE, Options, human service agencies, and other agencies serving people with disabilities will occur.

  Regional Employment Networks include Functional Industries, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, RISE, Options, and CMJTS. Employment Networks help ticket holders (those 18- 64 years of age receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)) become self-sufficient. Communication and referrals between Employment Networks will be ongoing. All partners provide or offer unique services and refer ticket holders to the appropriate service agency. The CMJTS Ticket Team, comprised of six employment specialists, will complete Level 2 Disability Resource Coordinator Training by March 2018. This curriculum focuses on developing integrated resource teams, blending and braiding funds/leveraging resources, identifying individual strengths, and customizing employment strategies. Regional employers will be educated about available ticket to work incentives. An Ability Resource Fair, a career fair serving individuals with diverse abilities and providing resources, will be held by June 2018.

·  The Leaving Incarceration Finding Employment (LIFE) Project, incorporating the 360° Career Success Skills modules, is tailored to address a person’s criminal background and help avoid recidivism. Currently, CMJTS is facilitating the LIFE Project in the Pine and Kanabec County jails and plans to expand these services to Isanti, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, and Wright counties by December 2017. Adult Basic Education (ABE) currently provides incarcerated adults with opportunities to acquire and improve the skills essential to becoming self-sufficient, productive employees, and effective family members. CMJTS and ABE will work together to deliver these services to maximize effectiveness by June 2018.

·  The Immigrant Employment Connection Group (IECG) is a collaboration of St. Cloud community businesses and organizations. The group’s focus is to better the St. Cloud community by working with the Somali population and address workforce development issues which improve the health and wellbeing of jobseekers and their families. To make the greatest impact, the group’s focus is on individuals within the Somali community who possess minimal skills and have multiple barriers to employment, including cultural and language barriers and transportation issues. The IECG is working with employers to help them overcome real or perceived hiring barriers. They are also helping jobseekers

to obtain employment. The IECG is creating meaningful connections between employers and jobseekers in Region 3. Committee members include Jama Alimad and Abdul Kulane, Central MN Community Empowerment; Abdiaziz Odirye, Grassroots Solutions; and Mohayadin Mohamed, Islamic Center of St. Cloud; Joan Berning and Kelly Gerads, Wagner-Peyser Job Service; Tammy Biery, SBETC; Gail Cruikshank, Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation; Don Hickman, Initiative Foundation; Jennifer Jimenez- Wheatley, RESOURCE Inc.; Daniel Larson, United Way of Central Minnesota; Lee Morgan, Morgan Family Foundation; Monica Segura, Catholic Charities; Elizabeth Valencia-Borgert, St. Cloud State University (SCSU); Kristin Yeager, CMJTS; and Lisa Zolin, Viking Coca-Cola. IECG’s first initiative was to host a job fair in spring 2015. This group took lessons learned to prepare employers and jobseekers before the second job fair held in September 2016, a collaborative effort with Job Service. Interpreters were made available to improve communication. In 2017, the IECG will work with Job Service to ensure interpreters are again available at their DEED-sponsored September job fair.

IECG will expand the number of job fairs and events that provide employer/jobseeker education and resources. The next IECG job fair is planned for November 2017.

  The Ridgewater College Multi-cultural Outreach Coordinator, Jehana Khan Schwandt, will serve as a liaison between workforce development, the college, and the community in Economic Development Region 6E. The goal is to identify populations experiencing inequities in education and employment, develop multi-cultural events and marketing/recruitment strategies to inform multi-cultural populations of resources available. Meetings began in January 2017 and will continue quarterly. Region 3 will duplicate this practice with all Minnesota State colleges in the region including St. Cloud Technical and Community College, St. Cloud State University, Anoka Ramsey Community College-Cambridge campus, and Pine Technical and Community College.

·  Region 3 will participate in the 8th Annual Willmar Area Cinco de Mayo Family Festival on May 20, 2017- the only event of its kind in our region. CMJTS will sponsor an event table to engage with diverse community members and provide resources. This family event draws more than 1,500 visitors to Willmar, one of the region’s more diverse communities. The festival will provide an opportunity to celebrate the area’s diverse culture. The event planning committee raises funds to host the event and provides scholarships to local students. From 2006 to 2016, this event has provided over $12,500 in student scholarships. This event will be used as a “touch-point” opportunity to meet with community members and obtain feedback and better marketing and outreach methods.

  CMJTS business staff will develop a relationship with the Willmar Area Multicultural Business Center (WAM-BC), a resource for fostering the entrepreneurial spirit with the right resources to create independent businesses that will be a positive force for themselves, their families, and the community as a whole. In 2008, Willmar had more than 36 minority-owned businesses, including Persian, Somali, and Latino. This figure reflects the largest number of minority-owned businesses outside the Twin Cities Metro Area. Services offered by the WAM-BC include a business incubator program, technical assistance program, and micro-loan program.

  Partner for Student Success (PFSS) unites central Minnesota parents, businesses, community organizations, and public school districts to support student success. The PFSS Board of Directors consists of 21 members from 19 partner organizations, and PFSS committees and working groups consist of more than 70 organizations from across the greater St. Cloud area. PFSS has a cradle-to-career approach, including a pre-K and elementary as well as college and career-ready work groups. The SBETC executive director sits on the college and career-readiness steering committee and co-chairs the experiential learning planning group. Participation at this level creates opportunities for Region 3 to expand education and employment services to youth and young adults. PFSS engages, aligns, and coordinates community resources to set goals, define priorities,

and close gaps; creates awareness and urgency around PFSS and student success within the community; advocates for financial support and resources around student success; and monitors and measures progress against the community goals and priorities.

  Several R3LPB events are scheduled in Planning Region 3 to engage and address issues and concerns of populations experiencing barriers to employment. They include:

i.  March 30, 2016, Hiring Immigrant Workforce 101: A panel of employers experienced in hiring the immigrant population connect with community resources. This opportunity was developed to learn about best practices and provide a safe space to share and openly discuss with others the successes and challenges hiring and retaining the immigrant population.

ii.  April 27, 2016, Job Seeker Forum: This event will be held at the Great River Regional Library in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It will include a conversation with immigrant jobseekers about the challenges of finding and keeping a job while adjusting to the American workplace.

iii.  June 2016, Employer Discussion II: A follow-up discussion with employers will occur as a result of the March 30, 2016 event. Action steps will be identified and taken to support the vision and ensure the success of matching employers’ needs with the specific workforce needs of the immigrant population.

iv.  August 2016, Job Seeker Preparation: This event will prepare immigrant jobseekers for the upcoming Job and Career Fair scheduled to take place in October 2016.

v.  October 2016, Job and Career Fair: This Job and Career Fair will be a culmination of the previous forum discussions (outlined above)—bridging the workforce needs of both jobseekers and employers.